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﻿Too much sugar on your brain.

I just returned from my annual visit to Lima, Peru, and although every trip fills my heart with love from family, this year I’ve returned sad, broken hearted and filled with ever more purpose.I visited my grandma who has Alzheimer’s disease. I’ve avoided it for a while and I now understood why. I wasn’t prepared to see a woman who I only remember as a sassy, spunky independent pistol, who used to get on the Metro line and disappear for hours in Downtown LA, one who used to rock out in the park with her tai chi girlfriends, and one who used to hike faster than me, reduced to having the verbal and cognitive skills of a nine year old. There were only seconds of clarity and happiness for her to see that I was there visiting only to be followed by confusion as to who I was… It was devastating.

The truth is, dementia and Alzheimer’s is a growing problem. As a society, we are not prepared to deal with the projected forecast. Researchers predict Alzheimer’s will affect 106 million people by 2050. That is over half our domestic population.

Watching her enjoy her daily pastry, I was overcome with memories of her fantastic cooking. The modern Limeño diet is filled with simple carbs, enriched wheat, sugar, dairy, and fried foods. It’s delicious, but this has come at a price. I started to connect the dots with my grandma’s present reality and the work i’ve been doing in private practice regarding aging and the body and brain connection.

Many people erroneously dismiss memory problems, depression and brain fog as a consequence of aging, or bad luck in the gene pool. They are not!

With ever growing advancements in medical technology and research, scientists now dubb Alzheimer’s disease as Type 3 diabetes. New research proves that high levels of blood sugar (insulin) from eating too many carbs and sugar and not enough fat is one major factor leading to chronic inflammation in the brain and body. Having too much sugar on the brain starts the cycle of the brain literally being on fire.

Basically, it goes like this: Too many processed carbohydrates and sugar and not enough good fats lead to blood sugar instability, blood sugar instability leads to inflammation, inflammation speeds up the aging process and leads to high chronic conditions associated with heart disease, diabetes and dementia. Let’s call this Inflammaging. Although it is proven that diabetics are four times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s, you do not need to have diabetes to have blood sugar problems.

Inflammation turns on select genes that show up as diseases your parents or grandparents had. Unfortunately with Alzheimer’s disease, we are watching the ramifications of generations who were led to believe low fat diets, replaced by convenient processed carbohydrates and sugar were healthy.
But inflammation and blood sugar instability doesn’t just occur in older people. The process starts as early as you decide what lifestyle habits you repeat and pass on to your children.

See, the body and brain connection is a symbiotic ecosystem that gradually destroys or mutually benefits one another. If you’re reading this with a bit of skepticism, just remember, Western medicine once thought it was impossible to reverse arterial plaque (high cholesterol). Now, the medical establishment admits that it can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes alone. I’ve personally helped hundreds of my patients eliminate their dependence on medication with acupuncture, herbs and diet and lifestyle therapy.

Ultimately, this is GOOD news! You have complete control of how your mind and body age, you just need the right tools and guidance to get you there. In the midst of so much conflicting information online and every new supplement that can help you fly, you still need guidance on balancing the basics.

My patient Mary was in the midst of menopause, and although she did not have traditional hormonal symptoms, she noticed her mental capability was declining. She would frantically look for her keys, which were usually in the her other hand, she had delayed mental responses, especially while driving, she could not sleep through the night, she was frequently tired but wired and did her best cleaning at 3 am. Her blood pressure was elevated for the first time in her life. She was startled by the fact her physician prescribed antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication with no other guidance or hope for her future.

When she came to see me, she broke down and felt as if she was ‘‘short circuiting’. She was also devastated that her children noticed changes in her mood, memory and alertness to the point that they could not entrust her with her own grandchildren.

Initially, I worked with Mary twice a week for three weeks using acupuncture. By her third session, Mary was sleeping through the night, uninterrupted and woke up refreshed and energetic. She followed an herbal supplementation and nutrition program designed to clear inflammation, balance hormones and nourish the brain. Within three months her blood pressure was normal, she lost belly fat, she was sharp, clear and confident. Best of all, she was back on a regular babysitting schedule enjoying her grandchildren. Mary is an exceptional example of what my Reboot Your Body & Brain Program can accomplish!

If you know you have a genetic predisposition towards dementia, heart disease or diabetes, it can be prevented or reversed by optimizing the things we know affect brain function: Diet, stress, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, hormonal imbalances.

First and foremost, you must control your blood sugar. This will balance your mood, help boost your energy, help you focus and prevent aging related brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.